With violent crime climbing faster in Sacramento than in most major cities, the city is trying a number of approaches to bring it down. What’s notable is that they’re feeding into one center. Learn why this is a model for any smart cities project.

American Cities: Apply now for a 2017 grant!

How to apply

The call for entries is now open and cities must submit an application no later than December 31, 2016. Winners will be selected and announced by January 31, 2017.

Carlo Ratti is a Italian architect, engineer, inventor, educator and activist who teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, where he directs the MIT Senseable City Lab, a research group that explores how new technologies are changing the way we understand, design and ultimately live in cities. Following the Wired Magazine Carlo Ratti is one of the "50 people who will change the world" and was also named as "50 most influential designers in America" by Fast Company. He was also a speaker at ‘National Conclave on Smart Technologies’ organised by Smart Cities Council India at Hyderabad in August 2015.

How many times have you missed an exit on an expressway and cursed under your breath? It is not only the frustration of missing an appointment but the loss of fuel and the unnecessary emission that adds to the already foul air. In urban settings, wayfinding specialists develop signage and information systems for both, pedestrians and motorists, who have unique challenges navigating streets and roadways. These information systems help people develop “mental maps” of the terrain and simplify their routes to the extent possible.

"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." - Charles Darwin
Data-is second nature to technology. The information, available and critical when collected & processed, for collaboration can work wonders towards a “mutual-symbiotic” future. Has been the evolutionary theory of our world- as we know it today.

Find out what message Julian Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio, Texas and now Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has for cities. He's one of the featured speakers at Smart Cities Week, Sept. 15-17 in Washington, D.C. The conference is sold out, but we'll post updates on this site and you can follow the action on Twitter at #smartcitiesweekDC

When a Massachusetts school district consolidated its summer school operations into one building officials were worried about sky high energy prices. But Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform enabled them to manage their heating and cooling equipment and cut costs. Learn more in this case study.

As city populations swell around the world, a big question looming over city leaders' heads is matching resources with needs and finding the right financing mechanisms to make that happen. Watch this video for a discussion on how cities can address the urban investment gap.